Why Were We Created For Community? | Pr Yvonne Chong

You're listening to a message to go from axt church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

The title of my message today, you know why were

we created for community? And and uh and one of

the reasons. And we're gonna go through. Okay, I'm gonna

bring us through the different points. But if you know,

we want a healthy, growing church, it takes the community. Uh,

it takes you and I uh to see uh that

you know exterance girls well and you know, the growth

is not just in numbers, you know, just having chess

field because if our goal is that, you know, then

we can always you know, serve, for example, in a

free buffet. You know that's what people always like. Yeah,

free food, right, Uh, people will just come. Uh if

you know, focus on numbers. You know, we have huge band,

huge likes, you know, everywhere. It's just invite someone famous

to church. You know, the leadership, no people come, uh,

you know. But church growth is not that. Church growth

is to see disciples being raised. Uh. And and that's

from Matthew even chapter twenty eight. To go into all

the world right uh, and to seek and save the

laws because we want to disciple them. You know, our God,

you know didn't tell us. You know, we want uh

he wants us to just convert people, but he wants

us to make disciples, you know, teaching them the word,

baptizing them in the name of the Lord. So and

and and you know community as well. You know, it

takes the whole. That's this saying. It takes the whole

village or the whole compound. And Malitia localized the whole

compound to raise a child, and and it takes all

of us now, you know, to help each other feel

at home. You know, I share this because I should,

just not too long ago in near life. And you

know this is I actually challenge our church in life.

That's the church plan that I'm part of. So if

I'm not going around the preache, that's my base. And

you know I've been part of the planning or any

life for sixteen years already, so.

That's my home. God has not caught me elsewhere yet.

Uh. Sometimes I would thinking I got you know, my

houses in Sulvan. I work in Suvang, But why needl

like sixty kilometers away? Uh? And you do know that

in church and all your leaders here, so they don't

just appear on Sunday and then Mondays to Fridays. You

know you are foreign to them, but actually they do

spend time, you know, catching up with you have young child,

you know, have your mama sessions together, to pray together

with you, you know, to do homes if you prayer service.

So like why in me life.

And sometimes if I look back, sometimes I do travel

to Neli every day. It got different ones to meet,

different hangouts, different you know, meetings and homes and whatever not.

But there some weeks, okay, at least I get to breathe.

You know, at what was part of new life, you

know in the early days as well.

He knows what I mean.

And and you know, every single leader, every single team

that is sowing in the church, you know, it takes sacrifice. Uh,

it takes definitely an amount of sacrifice. And and you

know they didn't need to do it, especially our leaders

first and some of you as well, you know, have

taken ownership because you know, you see that hey, you

know I belong here, this is my house, and you

start taking ownership as well. So my my challenge, which

I will post it to you, is how are you

guys with each other? Because we can just you know

kind of church and say hello, but are we actually

really doing life for each other?

Do we know what's going on?

For example, you know, have any one of you hung

out with Anti Chi home with for you know, I

know different age coude, but it's okay. You know anyone

will have actually asked her before her attacks, I did,

how are you today?

Uh?

You know, keeping a prayer? Or you know probably the

person that is sitting next to you now or behind you,

not really not next to your behind you have you

actually taken time to know the person?

So?

And you know why are we created for community? Let's

turn to Genesis chapter two. Genesis is the first World,

chapter two, verse eighteen to twenty. And I'm gonna get

different ones to read. Okay, that's what I always do,

get volunteers to read the word. And okay, since is wireless, right,

let's start from the back. Yeah, let's go with the

last row and move forward.

Okay, so you guys can take one verse each to read. Man,

thank you for reading.

Hey, Rach, good to see I got to know Russian

Cyberjaya a long time ago. Right, Yeah, so you know

it's eco right in verse eighteen that men should be

alone that should be a helper. Okay, so I would

be in context. Okay, actually okay, because usually we hear

these weddings, we will hear this in a way where

we try to ship people with each other. But actually,

if you're in context, it's not entire it is not

entirely that as well, because you know, no one you know,

there's an expression, right, no man's like Ireland and God created.

If God just intentionally want us to be alone, we

will not have the person next to us. He'll create

us probably one in every eighty ninety, yes, the lifespan

of your human being. Right then after you know, we

pass on, then another human being comes along.

But he has created billions of people.

Why it's so that we will not be alone, and

we will be a community uh that supports each other, Uh,

that helps each other as well. And and you know,

I'm gonna ask you guys, how many of you have

actually you know, you know, reached out the faster Gloria.

You know sometimes as a church plan coordinator. Uh, you

know I picked up fast rounds and that time and

so so yeah, you know how I really actually do

really know faster Gloria.

Uh, It's not easy to be.

The CPC, the church flan coordinator church plan. And it

is a very lonely journey, you know, although I'm a

leader as well, but I wouldn't fully be able to

identify her journey. And and likewise, you know, we can't entirely,

but at least we can be there for each other.

Yeah.

So second, the next let's go on to the next

light one from one John seventeen. Right at first John,

First John, chapter one, verse seven, the Word of God

says that it is the evidence, okay, when we are

a community, when we have fellowship in each other, it

shows very clearly to the world, and it is solid

proof to show that we are walking in the light.

We are walking with Christ. And very sad to say.

You know, sometimes we look around in church, right or

we look outside. Sometimes people outside they are even more communion,

all right, they're more connected. They are more even relational

to each other than the people in the church than

Christians itself. So come on church, you know, as we say,

you know, if we are in the light, we are believers,

then let our fellowship be with each other be very

evident to the world that they really wanted.

And and I know it is Uh.

It takes effort some of us, especially you know, who

are those of introverted You're like, okay, I have a

social cuta of five percent on near level five Uh

a five percent? You know, God how but it's okay,

you know, at least that's five or even zero point one.

I'm sure there's no zero social qultare at least that's

a zero point one.

Right.

But with that, so, you know, let's take that step

of faith, uh, to make our faith evident and and

and once it's evident and known, people are hungry, like

I want to have you know what Richard has?

You know, Uh, you.

Know that's this word they say four more right, feel

missing out?

Uh?

And let's be so communal to the extent that people

will want to feel belong here.

Uh.

And I'm not talking about you know, and it's starts

at home, right at home here.

Uh.

If we don't practice it with each other, I believe

we can't you know, be able to practice it outside

or we can't be expecting other people to feel belong

here as well. So let it be an evident even

for us. Okay, second verse second sorry, second point is

from Galicious, chapter six, Verse two.

We fulfill Christ.

So the second point is we fulfill christ command by

helping those in our faith community. If we want to

make a difference. Uh, and if we want to reach,

if we want to see the whole earth filled with the.

Knowledge and the glory of the Lord.

And and you know, if you want to say, you know,

we want to sick and save the lost. Let's start

with each other here first, okay. Uh. And until we

are able to do this well in house, so it

sometimes works concurrently, you know, helping those in uh and

helping those out as well.

So and and so you.

Know it begins at home, you know, making a difference

begins at own home here as a church.

Okay.

Next point is from James chapter five, verse sixteen. When

we are part of a community, this community here, Uh,

it'll be rest. So sure that's going to be prayers apart.

Uh.

And and you know, prayers about in all areas in

our life and especially for healing as well, which this

kind of prayers about you can't find it elsewhere. Uh,

you know, one of you know, I'm sure whenever you

share something with a homemises the struggles that you're going

to immediately you'll pray for you. And one of the

things that we also do in XTS we have prayer

links that we actually do sign up to pray for

different ones who are part of homes which no, we

have an urgent need, uh and it's a desperate need

as well.

So we do that.

And anyone of you here, if you have not received

a prayer lim before, you can ask, you know, ask

our leader said, hey, you know, I want to be

part of this prayer support.

You know, how can I be part of it?

And and you know, for X churches, I think for

twenty twenty five HOURDS, we're going to have a we

have a broadcast channel on telegram for those of you

who are familiar telegram. But if you're not, it's okay, Okay,

you can ask any other leaders. They should be able

to guide you on how you can pray for the

needs that.

Is in this house. Okay.

So it's not you know, the need is not that

just within Cheriss but ex churches at like okay, next

point Proverbs chapter twenty seven, verse seventeen. So iron chapens iron.

It means that you know, in church, it's actually a

place where we can challenge each other and the challenging

is not challenging the big of like, okay, to challenge

and shadow so that we can help each other to

grow in maturity, maturity both physically, to grow up, to

man up, to lady up. I don't know why they

don't use lady up and they just say man up. Okay,

Maybe guys need more manning up. I don't know, Just kidding, Okay,

to mat up both physically and spiritually as well. Yeah,

So when we feel belong, when we want to help

others belong, this will happen. And when you know, the

sharpening happens, right, it's not going to be an easy process.

You will feel the pain. Uh, you know, right, there's

a lot of friction involved. When you want to sharpen iron, right,

you need friction, right, the metal and whatever.

I don't know.

The olden days they use this brick heart break things

all to sharpen. So there needs to be a lot

of friction. Uh, And sometimes like wow, why is it

so tough and challenging? It is okay to have friction

as well, but that's where you sort things out, that's

where we grow up as well. Friction helps us to

know each other better because we learn how to communicate,

and and and and any uh, growing up as well.

You know, if we don't talk about iron sharpening, we

talk about pruning trees. Okay, we need the prune trees

to have it grow the right way.

Yeah, and how it should look like.

If not, I think every tree will be a bush.

It will be stunted.

Also, so as you chop off the branches, you will

it will force the tree to grow taller. Actually so

and and that involves work and the pruning process itself.

Sometimes it's painful. But in a church and in God,

God does that. He iron irons us what's the word

for it, sharpens us charpens us, so that we can

be effective X or knife for him. Right, if you

want to make a difference, you want to make a

cut in a society, Uh, it has to be a

sharp knife, not a bland knife as well, a bland

X would not work.

So we help each other to grow. We have in

ext church as well.

You know, we are really big on discipleship and next year,

you know that's going to be our theme disciples disciples first,

you know, discipleship, and in the discipleship process it helps

us to go up more so you know those of

you you know who have been part of X Church

for some time now, you know, if perhaps you're not

in a discipleship relationship with any of the leaders here,

you know, you can actually start praying about it and

asking God.

God.

You know, I know that you did not save me

just so that I can be part of statistics like yay,

you know we have I've added to zero point one

percent of the population of Christians and in Malaysia, in

the world. I know you died across not just to

save me, uh, but you died across so that I

may be your disciple, to be your follower, to be

your student.

Uh. In Bahasa they use the word moor.

As uh uh disciple I think in man Gin or sorry,

mantu mantur so uh yeah, if you my engine, yeah,

okay for a moment like hey, thank God for the word.

Some of you men know my journey.

I I'm a Banana.

I know people just.

Labeled that, but actually I can speak my mother tongue,

which is Hockey, and I don't speak man Gin. But

by being an exity like and because we have our

bilingual worship service and managing homes and managing community, there

it has helped me grow as well, to learn, managine.

So that's my growing. It's not easy to learn, managine.

I don't know how you guys do it, but yeah,

praise God for that. Okay. The next point is where

uh it is a place. Okay, this community here is

where Christ promised his presence would be. When two or

three are gathered in his name. He's dead even in

our meats and in his people. And whenever we pray

together and agree together in his name, our prayers get

answered as well. So you see how it all entertains

together we are here to support in prayer. But where

his presence is, uh, it's when we are gathered in

the same agreement.

And it's something I've learned.

When we gather together as well, it requires unity, uh

and and and unity is not uniformity. But what unites

us together is the common vision and the common goal

and a common.

Belief that we have.

So sometimes you're like, okay, you know God in his

presence right one or very clearly what will happen is

there's going to be liberty and freedom. And sometimes you know,

things are really tough and challenging and you feel all

weigh down. You know this morning our worship leader, and

it's like, oh, we're seeing joy to the world, but

you know, don't see any joy and our faces probably

long week and heyywe for everyone. But when we gather

together as a community, uh, that should be freedom. That

should be a breakthrough because His presence is here, right,

And when God's presence is we are set free.

Every chain is broken.

Right.

Okay? So hah, I know.

Ided sorry, my slight got some mistake, right, So Matthew

eighteen twenty okay, so let's move on, Okay, next month

is from Romans chapter one, verse eleven, the twelve why community.

Why they got created as a community so that we

can encourage each other in times of abundance and in

times of difficulty as well. We are there to support

each other. You know, you can see here at the

same thing. Supporting a community speaks of support. And in

times of abundance, we are there so to celebrate each other. Right,

that's why you know we have testimony sharing. Why we

encourage you to share a testimony because it helps each

other's faith up as well. First Corinthians Chapter twelve, verse

twenty five to twenty seven. If you read it backwards,

you know, now we are the body of Christ. We

quiate each other, we celebrate each other, and we care

for each other as well.

There is no individual here.

There's no individuality in a body of Christ.

We may have different.

Roles, different functions, you know, but we contribute to the

functioning of the Body of Christ. So and and if

one part of the body is hurting, be there to

help that part of the body. He'll also, okay, because

if we live the body hurting for long not treated right,

it might just you know, deteriorate. Also, any one of you, right,

if you cut your finger or okay, scrap you fel

scrape yourself, and that's past coming out. If you don't

treat that part, infection is gonna happen. Right, So we

care for the body so that the body can be healthy,

all right. Next point efficients chapter four, verse two to six.

So we can see here that God has an expectation

for us as believers, and he expects us to be

united with his body. Because when we are united, we

definitely can change the world for Christ. Right and and

and the enemy always will come to try to destroy,

to scatter, to divide us, because you know, there is

power in agreement. There's power in having a common vision

and a common goal. Uh, there's power when people care

and unite together. You know, if you talk about the

natural family you need, you know, a marriage and children,

we know that if that family you need is scattered, Uh,

you know, the everyone will suffer. So and the enemy

will always try to work against the church, the unity

of the Body of Christ, because he knows once he

can scatter the church, there is no power and we

won't be able to make a difference. But when he

scatters the church as well, you know, he causes doubts

to come in. And why the very clear Uh, you

know the ways a church can be set, it's always gossips,

uh as well, you know gossip. We don't gossip with

the intention of talking good about other people. And right,

we gossip because it's like, you know, we talk better

a person. We murmur about each other, we complain about

each other, and that itself hurts the body because you know,

then after that we come up together, right, you know, we.

See each other eye to eye.

But Christ has you know, expected us that this body

of Christ should always be together. And how can we

be together if you don't know each other? Right, so

time to know each other more. Okay, all right, First Peter,

this is my last point, and I have a story

to share about community later. First Peter, Chapter four, verse

eight to eleven. It is the place where we can

use the gifts God has given us to love each

other and serve each other without any complaint, complaints or resentment.

All right.

So, and and you know I'm gonna close with with this.

Our homes, you know, and I'm sure different ones of

you your homes have done Christmas Chair. So our homes

decided to do Christmas Chair together with another homes.

So the homes are.

Leading and together with the Mandarine homes, so in English

and Amergarine homes combined.

And we wanted to do that.

Because we we wanted to see how two language, two

different language homes will work together.

And and and because to be a community.

Right, So Christmas Chair itself it's and I've realized, I

think one of the things we realized after you know

what we have done and we reflected that, uh, it

has actually brought our homes even closer with each other

our church plan. Although NELI we have five homes, but

you know, two homes itself also contributes to the church plan, right,

So I'm gonna just show us some pictures.

You can start with the first picture.

So what we did was, uh, it was an idea

that a burden that God.

Has placed my heart since last year.

So this taman here that where we are at uh

is where X church we live, we have our heart.

So it's like a ministry house.

Uh.

And because a majority of our congregation that campus students,

so you know, we used we don't have a place

to meet for homes, so we use our hut to meet.

And and I realized, you know, hey, you know we've

been using this hut for about four years now, but

you know, we have not make a difference in the taman.

You know, we haven't really given back to the taman.

Nor do we entirely know all know the neighbors as well.

So I make it a point to know the neighbors

on the left and right, but everyone else along the

road we do not know. So God places burden to like, hey,

you know, you guys should have a Christmas open house

and like God open house or the whole time, and

how do we fit them? But this year, you know,

the burdens stirred up again because I mean, we can

do it any other time of the year, but people

may not fully identify. And we have to do it

in conjunction with Christmas because people always link Christians with

Christmas as it's not that entirely, but the world can

understand that concept a bit more.

So we decided to do that.

And how we did it was I'm part, I intentionally

part myself part of the residents Association, uh, just joining

and initially they wanted me to be part of the committee.

But I'm like, okay, I'm not owner of a but

we are just tennis and renting. So in the end

you're like, okay, probably not part of committee. But they

have been actively evolving involving me, uh in the committee

and community as well, so then you know, I'm like, okay, God,

if you want to make a difference, I have to

infiltrate somewhere, right, I have to do something somewhere. And

it's just not me because I represent our church, uh

and they clearly know that because the house they know

that we're renting. It's you know, church use it for

different different different things and initiatives. So this last Saturday,

it last Saturday, Yes, last Saturday, we were busy preparing

and then I'm like, okay, I don't really feel well,

but I'm like, okay, let me settle everything first, uh

and go.

See the doctor.

So after I decided to see doctor, that's why I

found out I got COVID.

They're like, God, I want to meet people.

And talk to them, and when I want to see

the doctor, the doctor's like, ah, okay, you have COVID positive.

Then I'm like, okay, so what should I do? Howiday

should I quarantine? Then just like no, we're treating it

like a common flu. Now you don't have to quarantine yourself.

I'm like, okay, are you saying okay? You know and

closed space, you know, have your masks on and stuff like.

So then it's like, oh no, you can just go out,

just do out and do whatever you need to do.

But I just practice precautions because I don't know, you know,

other people, the Faosic and well the Simpsons weren't that bad.

But I shouldn't be going around to effect people. But

then I was there for the preparation because homies need

me around because I tell them, okay, instruct them. Initially

I left them alone, but it took like ten people

just to you know, put tables for two hours. I'm like, hey, god,

this cannot so I have to give instructions on what

to do. So and to my surprise and I went there,

this picture, uh is the neighbors. So the first picture,

this picture as well, the neighbors. It can positive about

the decided to come out to help us. We have

not asked for help. Okay, we did not ask for help.

We did. I we blast out our poster.

Uh the way before another homestick car wash, so we

went house to house to wash cars.

Uh.

And then the following it was us. So to our surprise,

the neighbors came out and they're like, okay, they brought there.

What the jet thing?

Uh?

They held us blot off the road.

Uh.

They started cleaning the whole place for us. Uh. And

then you can go to the next picture as well.

Then uh you see uh.

So on the let's side, this anti Sunday came out.

It's like, oh, I have tables you can use, and

I take the table stick and go uh and this

this anti the family they are. I think I want

to gangsters in the line on the family because really

because recently I think.

Either her husband or the father.

But this elderly man passed away, so it's a massive.

Funeral thing going on. Then.

Uh so we got news from the neighbors that actually

there saw a lot of random people on all the

same color clothes, all hanging and smoking and tattoos everywhere.

So I don't know, we didn't want to generalize, but

then the neighbors like, oh, you know, they don't know

what gang. My god, there's some gang name on. But

anthy came out and give us stables. I was really surprised.

They are really staunched, howist, but like, okay, take your

tables and go. You can only you know, whenever you

want to. You just returned to me and another neighbor

came out, send the teenager son, which is on the

right side, to help us clean up, because where we

did our Christmas initiative was actually under the tree at

the end of the road of where our half.

Is next picture.

All people coming out and we're like, okay, it's okay,

don't ban down or is right they banned cannot straighten

out after that, so okay, let us do it. But

the auntists, I know, it's okay, let me brush things down.

For you.

Uh, and then this house as well.

Uh.

They sponsored like water, You're like, okay, if you need

water supply, you can just take it. The house that

is opposite this house, they're like, oh, you need electricity,

you can just take it. So we were supposed to

rant a generator that there. It's a few hundred we

can get the rent for the whole day. But then

they say you can just pull electricity.

For our house.

And like, okay, praise God because you set out you know,

like Christmas lights lat then we got speakers a sound system, right,

so they say they can just take electricity without us

asking as well. So next picture, it's a video. Okay,

you can play the video so you can see. This

was me walking to and throw the hub. Also a

video this because I was surprised to see human beings

because when we send out the are s VP only

four families our s V beat okay, but so hey,

boll right, So Maria, Uh, those are homies carrying setting

up stuff, kids coming out.

Everyone was like very coming together, and we were very surprised.

Because we were expecting a turn out about ten to

fifteen people only. Uh.

But you can go to the next slide Uh, this

is one of church nearby.

So they heard they're doing this and they decided to

bring their church partners along. So and most of the

ones that they brought along are actually students of Indian University.

Or not believers.

A student from Mayama, Bangladesh and Japan. The church bastard

that he's a Korean but living Malaysia for very long.

His fakes very fluent Mandarin. So they found not got

in touch quite last minute. It's like, hey, you know,

we are church nearby, can we come and support this.

I'm like sure.

We didn't extend the invite to them, but they saw that, hey,

you know this is important for the unity of the

body and together we want to make a difference for

the time.

And so they came.

Uh the church pastor you know, met me and uh

next picture. Uh so more pictures of people coming Macanning.

We set up tables. It's like a picnic style. Uh.

Next picture and this is we had a stage set

up there so lights on. We brought our fans out

everything in our heart, we actually empty our whole help

and brought it here to set up.

We had caroline.

We thought that at least, you know, we can sing

the atmosphere right and declared, you know, God's salvation, and

we did that and the neighbors are decided to join us.

Also next picture, uh you see on the left heeld

as this boy not so clear, but he was actually

playing the violin. So we were actually done with Caroline

and then we wanted to set off the fireworks, so

we had fireworks, so which the neighbors sponsored.

That night he came.

It's like, oh, I feel like okay, So the first

part I feel offended, but the second very blast. It's

like this boy came at Anti KNT.

We got fireworks.

My my papa asked me to spot bring this fireworks

to your so you can play. They're like call me Auntie.

But okay, I thank you for the fireworks. So they

brought fire so we were about to end. This boy

suddenly he came up. It's like ant I'm like, yeah,

I got me Auntie again. I want play violin. Then

I was like, okay, I cannot say no to a

kid right here. I think about eight nine years old.

So he came up, bring the violin. Then there's actually

his mom, so they he's the grandson of the auntie

uncle that was watching the road just now on.

So then he presented a.

Christmas song uh, and I got to know just that

evening itself, and he saw us setting up, He's like,

I want to perform something, So he learned the song

on the spot uh and played. So the mom printed

out the way correct scotsh it yeah yeah, thinging with

the notes on. Yeah, and he played on the spot.

So we were really really blessed.

And then after that, you know, the fireworks sponsored by

the neighbor went off as well. On the right side,

it's just our homies coming together to cook. It was

a barbecue you can go next. And then more of

our homies serving. Uh. That's the bottom bottom right that

swear our hearts. After everything was done.

Sat down.

Uh.

Messy plays, but we were just keeping everything back uh.

And the neighbors came as well to help. They were like, okay, okay,

we help you carry back. So they actually helped, you know,

carry things in the hub, sort this out, help us

wash all the things. So without even us asking, they

offered next picture, so there's a good picture together. Initially,

I'm like, okay, how do I you know, for church?

Very automatic, like very easy, SKay.

Everybody good photo. But these are strangers. But when we

say good photo, right, they all just came together.

Uh, and they were just yeah, very also, we were

just very very surprised that everyone just was so cooperative,

not just corporative.

You all, they were just very open.

And that night itself, we had fifty three people who

came from the RSVP. Of fifteen fifty three to our

team is just seventeen of us. So the rest were

all neighbors. So sorry, not fifty three fifty five. The

rest all neighbors. Some of them came home late because

of different engagements on the Saturday, but they intentionally were

always like.

Oh I'm here.

You know, I'm from this house. I just dropped by

and you know the support you guys. And next slide,

I'm gonna end really soon. But this slight uh so

because I'm part of the bigger community chat. Uh, different

ones started, you know, sending in messages to time usually uh.

Any this community chat is quite silent, and it's always

like one one way conversation that anyone put something, nobody replies,

like sometimes our church chat groups, like.

Is anyone there read it?

But they replied, They didn't ask how it was, but

they started sending pictures, sending messages to thank.

Us for doing this.

And you know what really blessed me even as we

ended that night because I was just like totally is

so tired, I said, now then I started having my

dinner with your support than ish. Then I overheard a

conversation between two uncles. So the uncle that helped wash

the ground just now, he was talking to his friends.

It's like, wow, any manya bagoza in very Chinese Bahasa staff.

So basically he said, I was translated for friends, but

he said, oh, manya bagoza.

Or in.

Manya baganga sanga happy happy Senia. So he's talking to

another Malay uncle that came and so so basically he

was just sharing with the Malay uncles like, uh.

It's really really good.

I've lived here for twenty years, if not, we have

not experienced this before.

Uh. They were actually one of the first residents in

the Taman.

Uh.

They said, no one has done this to bless the

community before, and it's very good. It's the young people

that has put this together. Uh. And and and you know, uh,

and it has brought happy happy Uh. Basically I think

they felt just very overwhelmed and blessed. Uh And and

we can't testify you know, the emotion that they was

just very like very lighthearted.

So so that probably extreme can come up. And that's

what a community can do.

Uh.

But it started with the tightness of both our homes.

And we realized, you know, looking back after doing this,

it has brought our homies together, but it has also

helped them grow as a person, you know, a community.

Right just not one of points.

It helps us grow in our faith, grow immaturity. Uh

And and like I said, you know a lot of

our homes homies are students, so it really gives that

give us opportunity, you know, to to help them grow

diffluent administry skills. If I tell you details of what

we did to guide there, I think, you know, sometimes

you're like pulling out her like God, frustrated.

Simple thing. They didn't really get it. But as we

ended the night.

Also, I don't even know how to start fire for barbecue,

I asked a student, and like, can you? So we

have vegetarian and meet because to respect the neighbors. So

the vegetarian, I'm like, okay, you settle the vegetarian. You

just helped cook like kept sit them, okay, and puttatoes

and corn.

That's all.

So after three hours are like, okay, let's you know,

get ready, bring all the trees out. I ran there

the fire was started. The kep siclem I was just

nicely placed on the grill.

But it's not cooked.

Potato there, so I'm like god, how so then you know,

it gave me opportunity to teach the person how to

start fire.

How do you actually cook?

You know, you'll put it in the skewers first, but

that told wrap ado minium for you can just throw

it into the fire like it bake corner so you

can go on exkew us that can't thing like so

h And how to help the fire be faster, you know,

either get fan it or put some butter on the

coal itself. You'll burn because it is fats right to

burn better. So the kind of thing and and and

our homies learn how to plant the timeline and stuff

like that.

So it was both.

Natural growth, spiritual growth, and one of the things that

our homies could stand and testify. Y'all know that now

it's like super rainy season. A few days before we

had our Christmas chair, our barbecue. It was a flash

flood in you like okay, uh, and it's quite bad

because people had to be relocated. And I'm like, God,

should we still have a barbecue?

Should we have plan B?

I was just thinking that, and different ones, you know,

ask me the miss They're like, should we have back

up plans?

Now?

What if it raised them? Like, okay, we're doing in

our half.

We open the hall, we set up barbecue stuff in

the hall, and then in BARBECUELLA They're like ha. But

in my mind I didn't have them be at all

because I knew God's gonna come true for us. So

and we prayed hard, like God, we need the place

at least drive for two days Friday and Saturday because

it's going to be grassy area.

Cannot rain on Friday.

Got We were very specific in our requests. Friday cannot rain,

Saturday cannot rain until we are done, then God can rain.

Like ha. So and that happened, and our homemies a

lot of than one new in your faith, like wow,

because weather reports say it's Friday and Saturday, that's gonna

be thunderstorm temperature and Eli is going to drop to

twenty three degrees, which is really good, a really good

temperature that night, probably it was about twenty six because

I checked weather. We bought no rain, but it was

a twenty six perfect temperature. U you know in Malaysia

is h I had to get a twenty six right

or a twenty three.

But God did that for us. He held the rain.

It was dry.

And after we were done with that night, after we

were done cleaning up, we dig all the washing outside

the hub because there's no the kitchen is not big enough,

so the road was just filled with different debris. Laha.

We tried to clean up. But your thirty and that

night itself heavy rain. What's you're done? Because I was

getting ready, getting ready to state here rain rain splatters,

not splatters stinking on the roof.

Fla. You can hear the rain rain drop, and I'm like,

thank God for rain.

I woke up next day the carp pots also clean,

because we were supposed to start continue cleaning on Sunday,

but everything was clean. So I just want to thank

God for saying true, that's what the community can do.

We want to make a difference where we are at.

Sometimes that our focus was just to make a difference

in Malati, but little do we know that God was

going to make a difference in our homes as well.

Our newest homies one month.

You know.

Now after that week itself, it all.

Started, you know, unpacking, started sharing things with us and

our homes and chat and stuff like that.

You know, that's what a community can do.

Uh. And my challenge for all of you here today,

even as you sit here as Christmas is you know,

drawing closer.

It's a very good opportunity to reach out.

But as you see here, as see just how Nicholas

says seventeen days to year and rite saven day days

to New Year, I really hope you know that extra

extra yourself that we will be a closely needed community

so that you know we can continue to make a

difference in where.

We are at.

And I really hold on and if IFS is gonna,

you know, schedule me here to bridge again. You know,

at least you know we can see new faces here. Uh.

And the community shouldn't be a clique. We have to

remember that, uh, got a community runs we get too tight.

We can be a click or so, but that means

other people don't can't join in and feel be long.

But I pray you today that you know, as you

grow closer here, UH continue to reach out so that

others can be included into this community and and got

this community can actually make a real difference on all right.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit at church the o RG.

We are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing

that this week is going to be a good week,

a hit for you. God bless